10 Best PlayStation Vita Games

The Vita may still be in its infancy, but there have already been some great games that have been released for Sony's handheld system that keep us glued to its little screen and can count as the 10 Best PlayStation Vita Games. They've kept us adventuring, sneaking, flying, fighting and sometimes they've made us downright terrified. We're not sure exactly how long this tiny machine's lifecycle will be, but we're going to go ahead and run down what we think are the 10 Best PlayStation Vita Games.

10

Dead of Alive 5 Plus

What can we say about Dead or Alive 5 Plus as we start off the 10 Best PlayStation Vita Games list? Well, for starters, it takes all of the great action and visuals of Dead of Alive 5 and sticks it on a small, crisp screen. It also gives us a smooth-as-a-veal-cutlet framerate while retaining the gorgeous graphics of its console brethren. This is one quality, bite-sized port of an already awesome fighting game.

9

Muramasa Rebirth

Muramasa Rebirth is another hit from Vanillaware that's a port of its 2009 Wii game, Muramasa: The Demon Blade. It combined fast-paced 2D side-scrolling with graphics that looked like art come to life and a story inspired by Japanese folklore. It looked fantastic on the PlayStation Vita's OLED screen and stands as one of the prettiest games on the system. If you were lucky enough to snag one of the limited editions, you got a cool case out of it too.

8

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

While Uncharted: Golden Abyss didn't perfectly encompass all that an Uncharted game needs to be, it did bring Nate's adventures to a handheld format and led the way for console-quality games that would show up on the Vita. The touchscreen controls let us control Drake in ways we never could and augmented our climbing skills. But perhaps the best part of Golden Abyss was that you could take Nolan North with you wherever you went, so you could hear his dulcet tones whenever you wanted. With Nathan Drake in your pocket, no territory would go uncharted.

7

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

Who knew that adventure games could be so scary? Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward put you in the role of a man named Zero who was stuck in a facility with a handful of other strangers. It was like playing through the movie Saw, where you had to figure out diabolical puzzles to get yourself out of some fiendish traps. You never knew who you could trust, so tensions always ran high as you scrambled to solve puzzles and save your own skin, hoping that none of the other survivors would betray you.

6

Gravity Rush

Kat's physics-be-damned powers made Gravity Rush a joy to play. It might have taken a little getting used to, adjusting to her anti-gravity powers and all, but once you found your groove, you'd be floating around like a pro. The cel-shaded graphics and the comic book-styled presentation of the story gave Gravity Rush a great sense of style, and exploring the town of Heksville became more and more interesting as your powers grew. The only downside is that you'd like look a goof if you tried to control Kat by using the Vita's motion-sensing capabilities.

5

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time brought Sly's console-sized adventures down to the small screen. Whether you liked sneaking, exploring or collecting massive amounts of treasure, having Sly available on the Vita was incredible. The best part is that if you bought the PlayStation 3 version, you could take advantage of the Cross Buy feature and download it straight to your Vita! More great stealth platforming on the go? Yes, please.

4

Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark

And speaking of stealth, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark was a game that totally surprised us by how good it was, earning it a spot in our 10 Best PlayStation Vita Games list. Stealth Inc. combined stealth, platforming and puzzle-solving to create one intense, but extremely gratifying game. A global leaderboard made sure that you'd be on top of your game at all times, prompting you to find the quickest ways to beat a level. Stealth Inc. tested your brains, your reflexes and, ultimately, your strength of will.

3

Dragon's Crown

Dragon's Crown is another Vanillaware title that impressed us on the Vita. While you can also get Dragon's Crown for the PlayStation 3, the Vita version is arguably better. The smaller OLED screen makes the gorgeous graphics pop more, the touchscreen makes interacting with the environment and managing items a breeze, and the fact that you can take your quests anywhere with you was a great plus. Factor in the Cross Save feature, which let you download your PlayStation 3 saves, and you've got a clear winner when it comes to side-scrolling action role-playing games.

2

Guacamelee!

Guacamelee! is a short, but sweet ride that gives us just enough action-platforming goodness to get us wanting more. Luckily, developer Drinkbox Studios answered our call and gave us some pretty sweet downloadable content to help flesh out Juan Aguacate's luchador-fueld journey. The slick, 2D presentation made us feel like we were playing some awesome Saturday morning cartoon, and the combat almost had us running out to buy our own luchador masks.

1

Persona 4 Golden

And the top spot in our 10 Best PlayStation Vita Games list goes to Persona 4 Golden. Not only did this enhanced port of the original hit Japanese RPG give us more voicework, better animation and new scenes, but it also gave us an all-new character named Marie with her own storyline. The HD update and Persona 4 Golden's already-beefy gameplay made this title the heaviest hitter on the PlayStation Vita. It's our pick for the best the Vita has to offer, so do yourself a favor and get it so you can lose yourself in the mystery of the Midnight Channel!